Hello Linda and other group participants who favor stem cell research.

Don't despair!  We've been down this road before.  This is just a repeat
of what happened nearly two years ago when Dave Weldon got a similar
bill passed in the House.

But when this legislation came to the U.S. Senate last year (2002),
proposed by the infamous Sen. Brownback, he couldn't come up with the
votes to get it passed.  Glory hallelujah!

Those who keep a close watch on how this issue is handled in Washington
doubt that the Senate is currently more favorable to banning therapeutic
cloning research than it was last year.

But you know, the way this plays out in Washington partly depends on the
actions that you and I take!  That's why Nancy Reagan recently wrote a
letter declaring her support for therapeutic cloning research.  Let's
imitate her example.

One way of getting our point across to the politicians and to the public
is to tell our "stories" far and wide. So we are asking you (unless
you've done so already) to send us your portraits -- a brief text plus a
photograph.  Or send us two photos if you wish -- taken recently or in
the past.

And if you know others who have illnesses that stem cell research might
cure, then please pass the word along to them as well.  Guidelines for
posting a portrait -- along with portrait examples -- can be seen at the
"Portraits of Hope" website: http://www.stemcellaction.org.

These portraits honor people with Parkinson's and their families and
friends.  Please join us in helping to make our voices heard.

Best wishes,

Raymond Barglow
******************
Linda J Herman wrote:
>
> Forwarded from PAN and CAMR:
>
> "Today the U.S. House passed Rep. Dave Weldon's (R-FL)Bill which bans all
> forms of human cloning.  While PAN is terribly disappointed by this
> action,
> we have strong Senate support for therapeutic cloning and the assurance
> from
> our friends there that the Weldon bill will not pass the Senate this
> year.
>
> Attached, please find a statement from the Coalition for the Advancement
> of
> Medical Research (CAMR), of which we are a member, expressing our
> disappointment with the House vote."
>
> Laura Jane Cohen
> Outreach Coordinator
> Parkinson's Action Network
> 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW
> Suite 900
> Washington, DC 20005
> p: 202-842-4101
>     800-850-4726
> f: 202-842-4105
> website: www.parkinsonsaction.org
>
> Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
>
> For more information contact:
> Julie Kimbrough, 212-585-3501
>
> Patient and Medical Research Groups Express Disappointment With House
> Vote
> To Ban Therapeutic Cloning
> Passage of Weldon Cloning Bill Denies Hope to Millions of Americans With
> Disease
>
> Washington, DC—February 27, 2003—After a House vote on whether or not to
> ban
> all forms of human cloning, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical
> Research (CAMR) expressed its strong disappointment in the passage of a
> bill
> which prohibits the use of therapeutic cloning to help cure disease, and
> will make passage of a reproductive cloning ban by the full Congress
> impossible this year.  CAMR, comprised of the nation’s leading patient
> groups, universities, and scientific societies, has led the charge to
> support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and to oppose a
> ban
> on therapeutic cloning (more accurately called somatic cell nuclear
> transfer).
> “Not only have the hardline opponents of scientific and medical research
> turned their backs on patients today, their vote will also keep the U.S.
> Congress from enacting a full ban on human reproductive cloning,” said
> Michael Manganiello, President of CAMR.  “The overwhelming majority of
> the
> U.S. public and Members of Congress want to see a ban on reproductive
> cloning.  But by insisting on banning all cloning, including the
> promising
> new field of therapeutic, the net result will be no ban on reproductive
> at
> all.  We are grateful that we have such staunch support in the Senate to
> ensure that no bill banning promising research like therapeutic cloning
> will
> pass,” he added.
>         “No avenues of research should be slammed shut to my daughter and
> millions
> of other children and adults suffering daily like her.  My daughter is
> battling a horrific life-sentence and deserves every chance at a normal
> life,” said Monica Coenraads, whose six-year-old child Chelsea is
> afflicted
> with Rett Syndrome—a disorder which robs children of communication and
> motor
> skills and renders them completely dependent on others for every basic
> need.
> “I am so thankful to the Members of Congress who stood up for my
> daughter,
> and countless others like her, today.  Nearly every family in America has
> a
> loved one affected by some condition that could be helped through
> advances
> in medical research,” she added.
> “Throughout history politicians have attempted to prohibit medical
> advances,
> whether it’s organ donation, IVF, or the use of recombinant DNA.
> Fortunately, sounder minds prevailed and all of these procedures are
> available to us today, helping millions of patients worldwide,” said
> Manganiello.  “We are very appreciative of those House Members who fought
> hard against the Weldon bill today—the more we met with Members and
> educated
> them about the promise this field holds for curing disease, the more
> support
> we gained.  If we would have had more time, I know we would have
> solidified
> more votes in our favor,” added Manganiello.
> -----more-----
>
> Patient and Medical Research Groups Express Disappointment With House
> Vote
> To Ban Therapeutic Cloning, page 2
>
> Therapeutic cloning research has the support of both leading Democrats
> and
> Republicans including former Presidents Ford and Carter as well as former
> First Lady Nancy Reagan. Leading medical scientists, including the
> National
> Academy of Sciences and 40 Nobel Laureates, major patient advocacy
> organizations, the American public, and many religious leaders agree that
> therapeutic cloning could lead to dramatic new treatments and cures for
> now-incurable diseases and should be pursued.
> Therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) is about saving and
> improving lives.  It is fundamentally different from human reproductive
> cloning; it produces stem cells, not babies.  In somatic cell nuclear
> transfer, the nucleus of a donor’s unfertilized egg is removed and
> replaced
> with the nucleus of a patient’s own cells, like a skin, heart, or nerve
> cell.  These types of cells are called somatic cells. The goal is to
> develop
> stem cells that will not be rejected or destroyed by the patient’s immune
> system.   No sperm is used in this procedure.  The cells are not
> transplanted into a womb.   The unfertilized egg cells are stored in a
> petri
> dish to become a source of stem cells that can be used to treat
> life-threatening medical conditions.   Somatic cell nuclear transfer aims
> to
> treat or cure patients by creating tailor-made, genetically identical
> cells
> that their bodies won’t reject.   In other words, somatic cell nuclear
> transfer could allow patients with diseases and conditions like cancer,
> diabetes, ALS, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and many more to be
> cured
> using their own DNA.
>
> The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), is
> comprised
> of nationally-recognized patient organizations, universities, scientific
> societies, foundations, and individuals with life-threatening illnesses
> and
> disorders, advocating for the advancement of breakthrough research and
> technologies in regenerative medicine - including stem cell research and
> somatic cell nuclear transfer - in order to cure disease and alleviate
> suffering.  For more information on CAMR, visit the website:
> www.camradvocacy.org.
> #####
>
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